Japan to Deport Chinese 'Economic Refugees'

By DAVID E. SANGER, Special to The New York Times

Published: September 12, 1989

TOKYO, Sept. 11—
Trying to stem the tide of boat people landing on its shores, Japan said today that it would deport more than 600 Chinese who reportedly misrepresented themselves as refugees from Vietnam, and who seem certain to face punishment once they return to China.

The deportation plan marks the first application of a new policy for screening immigrants that began this week.

Under the plan, supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Japan will not accept ''economic refugees'' who are solely drawn by the country's wealth.

The Japanese Government said it would continue accepting refugees from Vietnam and elsewhere in Indochina. The emigres have been arriving here in increasing numbers as Asian ports like Hong Kong have taken a harder line against accepting boat people. The Government also said it would evaluate claims for political asylum from mainland Chinese and others.

Japanese officials said the Chinese being deported were either mainland Chinese or natives of Indochina who took asylum in China in recent years. It is possible that some of the deportees are ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. The Chinese who arrived by boat over the last few weeks appear not to be fleeing for political reasons. They have told interviewers that they ''came to Japan because they wanted to make money,'' said Toshio Tsunozaki, the director of the human rights and refugees division of the Foreign Ministry.

It is not clear how many of the 2,300 refugees who have landed in Japan in recent months will be deported. The Foreign Ministry said today that 657 have already been identified as Chinese or as the nationals of neighboring countries who first sought asylum in China, usually from Vietnam.

''If we keep that window open, there will be a 'pull factor' that will draw other refugees out'' purely for economic reasons, Mr. Tsunozaki said.

Under Chinese law, those who flee can face a variety of criminal charges. At a news briefing today, Mr. Tsunozaki said that in talks with Chinese diplomats, Japan received no guarantee of leniency for the Chinese, who appear to have paid boat operators large amounts for the trip. He said Japan was appealing to China for punishments that ''are not harsh.'' An Unexpected Problem

The influx of boat people this year has confronted Japan with a huge and unexpected problem. In 1985, Japan took the extraordinary step of agreeing to absorb 10,000 Indochinese refugees, and more than 6,200 Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians have resettled here. Mr. Tsunozaki said today that to continue accepting Indochinese, ''we will exclude pseudo-refugees and distinguish genuine refugees.''

The screening system to separate Indochinese from other refugees is essentially the procedure agreed to at a refugee conference in Geneva in June. It has been used in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Japan is the richest nation in Asia, and officials are worried that the deportations will seem hard-hearted and lead to bad publicity for a country that strongly resists immigration.

On the other hand, a senior Japanese officials said today, if word gets out that Japan is accepting refugees from all nations who are simply seeking economic opportunity, ''we would have all of Asia on our doorstep.''